Epic Travel → North America → Canada → Banff National Park → Lake Agnes Tea House

Location: Lake Louise area, Banff National Park, Alberta

Distance: 7.6 km/4.7 miles roundtrip to/from the teahouse (longer if you’re going Big Beehive)

Elevation Gain: 433 meters/1420 feet

Time Required: 2-3 hours (add time if hiking Big Beehive)

Red Tape/Notes: The tea house is open 8am – 5pm, from early June to mid October (Canadian Thanksgiving) and is CASH ONLY. The most critical thing to know about this trail is that you must arrive early to get parking at Lake Louise, otherwise you’ll have additional distance to hike or will need to take a shuttle. Also, the trail is crowded, so an early start will help with the crowds as well. You can avoid the parking problem by staying at either the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, or Deer Lodge. Entry into Banff requires a daily fee of about $10 per person (or ~$20 per family/group); alternatively, you can buy a Parks Canada Discovery Pass if you’re staying for an extended time.

What’s Nearby?: Lake Louise, Plain of Six Glaciers, Peyto Lake Viewpoint

This is probably the most popular hike in Banff. I’m not entirely sure why more people choose to do this hike compared with the Plain of Six Glaciers; the trail is  shorter, but the elevation gain is nearly as high and the majority of the trail is through the forest. I love a good woodland trail as much as the next person, but it can get a bit monotonous. Anyway, the trail starts at the shore of Lake Louise, just behind Chateau Lake Louise; it branches off quickly from the trail continuing along the shore to head steadily up the mountain (through the forest). It’s wide and well-maintained, and also well-signed. There are no notable stops until you come to Mirror Lake, which is a pretty little spot with nice views of the Big Beehive. Once you’re here, you’re quite close to the tea house; a bit more trail and then a set of wooden steps take you the rest of the way. You’ll emerge from the stairs practically at the doorstep of the tea house. It’s cute, but expect crowds.

Lake Agnes is a beautiful clear turquoise, and a trail continues along the shore past the teahouse for additional views. If you’ve still got energy, this trail continues all the way around to the back of the lake before taking a left turn to head up a steep series of switchbacks to the top of the Big Beehive. The views from the top down to Lake Louise are impressive, and knowing you’re on top of the sweet mountain you saw from Mirror Lake is pretty cool. From the Beehive you can either turn around and come back the way you came, or you can hike down the other side of the Beehive which joins up with trails going back to Lake Louise (to the left) and heading off to the Plain of Six Glaciers (to the right). If you’re wanting to do Lake Agnes AND the Plain of Six Glaciers, though, I recommend starting with the glacier trail and ending with the Lake Agnes trail.

Epic Travel → North America → Canada → Banff National Park → Lake Agnes Tea House